Israel Huthi leaders leave capital after attacks in Yemen
Leading members of the Houthi militia in Yemen have fled from the capital Sanaa, which they control, to rural areas following the US airstrikes. This was reported by the Saudi Arabia-funded news channel Al-Arabija. High-ranking members had received instructions to leave their homes due to the danger of further US airstrikes.
16.03.2025, 15:43
SDA
The German Press Agency learned from circles close to the Houthis that members should also avoid public places and not publicize the whereabouts of high-ranking Houthi officials. The US attacks had hit the al-Jiraf area in northern Sanaa, where many Huthi representatives live.
The US military had massively attacked targets of the Iranian-backed militia on the orders of President Donald Trump. Following threats of new attacks in the Red Sea, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the airstrikes were intended to protect US ships and restore freedom of navigation.
At least 31 people were killed and 101 others injured in Yemen, according to the Houthi-controlled Ministry of Health.
A tense calm prevailed in Sanaa the day after the attacks. "We experienced terrible moments," said one resident about last night. Several windows in his house were broken. Another said that the militia wanted to drag the country "into war and destruction" by attacking international shipping. "Yemen is not a country that can afford further conflict."
One of the most important shipping routes
The Houthi control large areas, especially in northern Yemen. After the outbreak of the Gaza war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas in October 2023, they began attacking ships with alleged links to Israel as well as Israel itself in support of Hamas. One of the most important shipping routes for global trade runs along the coast of Yemen.
A civil war has been raging in Yemen for ten years, causing one of the biggest humanitarian crises in the world in what is already a very poor country.
A resident of Sanaa named Shiham Mohammed said: "What will these attacks (by the USA) bring us? We have been at war and under bombardment for ten years, and with what result? Nothing but more destruction and more civilian casualties." However, some residents who long for an end to Houthi rule also spoke out in favor of the US attacks.
